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My Garden Diary

January and February 2023

Copyright © 2023 by David E. Ross

Many years ago, when I first started my Web site, I created an online diary of my gardening activities and observations. However, with work and the commute from Hell, I was often so tired I had to choose between maintaining my garden and maintaining my diary. Sometimes, I did neither. In 1998, I stopped my diary and removed the pages from my Web site.

Now I am retired. I am well-rested and have plenty of time to both garden and maintain a diary. This diary is primarily for my own benefit, so that I can look back upon what I did and when. But I thought others might also be interested, so here it is.

Also see What's Blooming in My Garden Now?

Diary entries for 2004 through 2018

Entries below are in reverse order (latest at the top). Daily, I might stoop to pull a weed or use a hose to water some potted plants; however, I don't consider those significant gardening activities. Thus, you will not see daily entries. Also, I might accumulate a few entries before updating this page on the Web.

When plants have well-known common names, their scientific names are given only the first time they appear on this page (entry closest to the bottom). There, the common name is in bold or appears as a link to another Web page.

Unless a different year is given, dates refer to other entries in the same year as the entry in which they appear, including entries on prior pages for the same year.

Date and Weather	Observations and Activities
8 January Cloudy, dark, and cool Temp: 47-59 Humidity: 52% Wind: 1-15 Rain — This rain-year: 7.83 The past week: 2.29	Although we had significant rain, it was not as much as of this date a year ago; and last year was a severe drought year. However, the rain has been enough to revive much of the red fescue (Festuca rubra) lawn in back . The rain and cold weather prevented me from pruning roses on New Years day. Today, I finished pruning the rose bushes (but not the climbing '4th of July') in front (29 Dec 22). The 'Illumination Flame' foxglove (Digitalis purpurea × canariensis) in the west bed in back has new growth. It is not dead! I now think trying to grow azaleas (Rhododendron indica) in the circular bed in back is a lost cause. Several of them are dead, and I am tired of constantly replacing them. In the meantime, the 'Pride of Dorking' and 'George Taber' azaleas next to the the house have already started blooming.

Date and Weather

Observations and Activities

8 January

Cloudy, dark, and cool

Temp: 47-59
Humidity: 52%
Wind: 1-15

Rain —
This rain-year: 7.83
The past week: 2.29

Although we had significant rain, it was not as much as of this date a year ago; and last year was a severe drought year. However, the rain has been enough to revive much of the red fescue (Festuca rubra) lawn in back .

The rain and cold weather prevented me from pruning roses on New Years day. Today, I finished pruning the rose bushes (but not the climbing '4th of July') in front (29 Dec 22).

The 'Illumination Flame' foxglove (Digitalis purpurea × canariensis) in the west bed in back has new growth. It is not dead!

I now think trying to grow azaleas (Rhododendron indica) in the circular bed in back is a lost cause. Several of them are dead, and I am tired of constantly replacing them. In the meantime, the 'Pride of Dorking' and 'George Taber' azaleas next to the the house have already started blooming.

Weather data are from the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station, about 2 miles ENE of my house.

The high temperature (°F) is daytime for the indicated date; the low temperature (°F) is for the previous night.

Winter chill is the cumulative hours of temperatures at or below 45°F from 1 November through 31 March. It is reported during that period and through April.

The relative humidity is at noon. (In my garden, it is likely higher than reported, a result of regular irrigation.)

Wind speeds (mph) are average (not peak) low and high, midnight to midnight (subject to later correction for diary entries posted before the end of the day). I also indicate peak wind gusts parenthetically when they are significantly high.

Rain is in inches. Rain-year is the cumulative amount of rainfall from 1 October until 30 September of the following year (our "rain-year"). Week is the cumulative amount of measurable rainfall from noon seven days ago until noon of the indicated date. If no measurable rain fell in that period, Days since last is reported.

Characterization of the weather (e.g., Clear, sunny, and warm) is purely subjective; for example, "warm" might occur with higher temperatures than "hot" if the former occurs with lower humidity and more breezes than the latter. Also, a day that would normally be characterized as "mild" might instead be "warm" if the immediately previous days were quite cold. Finally, such characterization reflects when I was actually outside and gardening and ignores changes that occur while I am inside.

The signature line I use when writing messages about my garden includes the following:

Climate:  California Mediterranean

Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)